This invention relates to a fruit and nut-containing confectionary candy edible product More particularly the invention is directed to a moldable candy product including a natural, preferably exotic fruit juice concentrate, chopped nuts and compound coating.
With the continuing trend in food products incorporating natural food components, the present objective is to produce a confectionary candy which contains a combination of natural fruits and nuts which is nutritional and beneficial.
Various candy products have been formulated in the past using sugar and nuts; ground compressed fruit and nuts; fruit-containing chocolate products; and fruit centers in a caramel/nut layer encapsulated by an exterior chocolate-flavored compound coating. These are exemplified, respectively, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,085 in which chopped nuts are added to a sugar-saturated syrup, with and without cocoa powder, starch, gum enzyme, vitamin C, fruit juice concentrate, honey, molasses or combination thereof and the mix crystallized and dried; U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,995 where compressed fruit and nuts are mixed, ground, extruded and compressed into an edible product; U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,042 where emulsified melted chocolate is homogenized with an extra sugar containing fruit concentrate and a lyophilic additive, and filled into molds and used for coating a corpora such as whole strawberries, banana sections, cherries, raisins and even ants; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,187 where a fruit center is contained within a caramel/nut coating and an outer coating of chocolate-flavored compound coating is provided. "Compound coating" as used in the prior art and in this specification is a chocolate substitute using 45-55% high grade sugar with either hydrogenated or fractionated palm kernel oil, a lauric fat base, and 15-25% milk solids with appropriate emulsifiers, flavoring and food colorants.
None of these prior art products involve the combination of a mix of a fresh fruit concentrate having about 40% to about 60% weight percent of solids, a compound coating and tree or ground nuts. Further none of the known art provides for the freeze drying of a natural fruit puree to concentrate the taste and flavor while retaining natural color, aroma and nutritional value of the fresh fruit, which is then mixed (reconstituted) with water to a thick paste of 40 to 60% solids and placed at rest to release flavor and provide uniform moisture throughout and which is subsequently mixed with compound coating and nuts.